One of Hudson Valley’s most astonishing sights is Storm King Art Center (Old Pleasant Hill Rd., off Rte. 32 a few miles south of Vails Gate, 845/534-3115, www.stormking.org, 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Wed.–Sun. Apr.–Nov., adults $10, seniors and students $9, children 5–17 $7), a breathtakingly beautiful sculpture park built on a hilltop.

About 120 permanent works and many more temporary ones are scattered over jade-green lawns and wheat-blond fields, while in the distance are the dusk blue Shawangunks.

Nearly every major post-WWII sculptor is represented here—Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Louise Nevelson, Isamu Noguchi, and Richard Serra among them. A map of the 400-acre park and its sculptures is available at the gate.

In the park’s center stands an imperial Norman-style building that was originally the home of lawyer Vermont Hatch. The stone mansion now houses temporary exhibits and a café that offers sandwiches and picnic fare. There’s live music in the summer.